By Vanessa Overholser - Staff Writer
CNHI
March 16, 2010 — SRG Global (Guardian Automotive) was featured on the “Modern Marvels” television show earlier this month. Employees of the factory said they were proud to be featured.
“Modern Marvels approached our marketing division in the Detroit office and they told them that they were running a show and they wanted to feature a facility that produces plating and plastics,” said SRG Plant Manager John Evans. “So our cooperate offices had a discussion about which plant to choose to feature on the show and they selected the Morehead plant to be featured and aired on the show. That’s an accomplishment for this plant to be the one out of our company to be selected.”
SRG Global has six chromeplating plants in China, Morehead, Evansville, Farmington, Mo., Portageville, Mo. and Ripley, Tenn., Evans said.
“Everyone was very excited,” Evans said. “They were very proud. People were proud that we were the ones being selected and that we were going to get some footage on television.”
The television crew filmed SRG’s portion of the show about a year and two months ago. The show aired on the History Channel March 2 and will be replayed. People can go to their television guides for times and dates. If they can’t find it on their guides they should contact their cable or dish provider to obtain the information, Evans said.
“What we did first was we had two Ford F-150 trucks in our front yard that featured a lot of decorative chrome plated parts,” he said. “So we started the show out looking at the vehicles.”
The F-150s are SRG’s flagship product, he said.
“It’s our biggest single product line we make here in this facility,” he said. “We looked at the components on the F-150 to point out which parts are chromeplated parts on vehicles.
“A lot of the perception of the general public is some of the parts that are chrome plated are metal when actually they are chromeplated plastic parts,” he said. “ So, we showed them which parts are chromeplated then we took them to the injection molding area.”
The process begins in the molding injection area, he added.
“We showed them the injection molding machine that makes Ford F-150 truck grills,” he said. “We showed them how the process takes bulk resin and melts it into a melted form, then it is injected and shot into an injected molding tool. Then the part is sent out for inspection and trimming before it goes to the plating department. Next we took them to the plating line and showed them where the process started at loading and went onto the plating line and showed them the general process and back down to the unloading station.”
The filming process was very lengthy, he said.
“Our segment was three or four minutes,” Evans said. “It was about a 14-hour day the day they were here filming. So it was a very long day. We were one piece of a multitude of segments that were on the show about chrome plating.”
Being featured on Modern Marvels has helped the company in different ways, he said.
“It helps reinforce our credibility as being an excellent supplier of chrome plated parts for the automotive industry,” he said. “Our customers have all watched the show as well. I think they have pride that we were selected and that we supply them parts as well. I think it gives our customers a further reinforcement that we are a good supplier and that we do a good job for them.”
Evans said he is proud of employees and their success in production.
“I think everyone has a good sense of accomplishment there that we were selected because of their job performance here to make it successful,” he said. “To make a good part, there’s a lot of people involved in the process to make it from raw materials to finished goods that are taken through the back door of the plant. It shows everyone how everyone is a piece of the process and that we do a decent job overall of controlling the process and making parts for our customers.”
Evans said he encourages everyone to watch the show once it is aired again.
“I think when it is local footage here for the local community everyone should have a sense of pride that they have a company in Morehead that was selected to be featured on a national television show for being good at what they do,” he said.
SRG employees said they felt that having their plant featured on the television show was a good experience.
“They filmed a lot more than they showed on television,” said Rick Butler, a loader for SRG Global. “I thought it was good. I would’ve liked to see more of the Morehead plant and our workers spotlighted.”
Phillip Wireman, floor tech in the plating department, said he was happy the Morehead plant was featured.
“It was nice to be recognized to have someone here checking us out to see what happens what all we make and what all goes on here,” Wireman said.
“I think it should help us to bring some more work to us,” he said.
SRG Global is located on Guardian Avenue off KY 32 near Viking Drive.
